However, not very often does a movie tackle the idea of death itself in a meaningful way. Helldriver, a Japanese film by Yoshihiro Nishimura (creator of the infamous cult classic Tokyo Gore Police), takes time to examine the moral and ethical dilemmas of millions of people being "infected" with something that drives them to feast on the flesh of the living. If they show signs of life, are they really "dead?" If they show intelligence, organization, and understanding of concepts such as bartering and power structure, are they still "human?" What if they show a knack for using tools or recognizing specific people? Is attempting to wipe out beings referred to as "infected" a violation of human rights if they can instead be contained? What if containment could lead to an entire nation's economy and social structure crumbling? Does the needs of the "normal" override the needs of the "not normal?"
While not really providing many answers to these questions, Helldriver does go above and beyond your standard zombie film by actually being willing to address these issues. A priest's soapbox movement calling for mercy for family, friends, and loved ones who are infected and a politician's refusal to pass a bill that would exterminate the infected, calling it "a murder bill" are balanced against cries from a populace already forced into cramped housing with limited food resources, struggling to stay alive when they're refugees in their own country.
Oh, and it's also the most insane movie I've ever seen in my life.
